


A Moment of Reflection

by aestivali



Category: Warcraft (2016), World of Warcraft
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-10-13
Packaged: 2019-01-08 06:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12248862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aestivali/pseuds/aestivali
Summary: Khadgar wasn't expecting to meet a version of himself from another universe - but, sometimes, magic wobbles a little. Especially where he's concerned.





	A Moment of Reflection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heeroluva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heeroluva/gifts).



The young mage Khadgar stared at the strange man before him. He claimed to be a version of him from another universe - an older version, if that hair was any indication - and, difficult to believe though it was, Khadgar certainly couldn't deny how similar they looked. There were differences, yes, but he'd recognise his own eyes anywhere, even if they were sparkling with magic.

Plus accidentally teleporting himself into someone's bedroom was exactly the sort of thing he'd do, in this universe or any other.

"Is it safe for us to touch?" the young Khadgar asked.

"Oh, yes," said the older Khadgar, casually. "This isn't the first time I've visited another universe."

Khadgar raised his eyebrows. "...This has happened to you before? Why am I not surprised."

The older mage gestured casually. "Now, to be fair, the last time I did so, it was on purpose."

"I'm sure it was," Khadgar said darkly.

"It was!" The older Khadgar looked offended. "I personally lead the charge through the - oh, I probably shouldn't tell you that. But suffice to say, it was very heroic, and also you should be suspicious of bronze dragons."

"Bronze... dragons?" He'd heard legends of dragons, of course, but neither he nor anyone he knew had ever seen one. He'd thought they were extinct - and not colour-coded.

The older Khadgar sighed. "Yes, you know, the time-travelling ones. Oh, except the one that looks like a gnome. She's fine." He ran a hand through his hair. "But don't confuse her with a real gnome. You should definitely be suspicious of those."

"Don't worry, I already am," said the young Khadgar, frowning. "Met this gnome at Dalaran once - bright pink moustache, shifty little fellow. Pretty sure he stole one of my books."

"Very possible," said the older Khadgar, nodding sagely. "Though did you consider that you just misplaced it? I once became convinced that a valuable tome had been stolen by a visiting draenei, only to discover it a week later in the pocket of my robes!"

"I'd love to know what a draenei is," said the younger Khadgar, giving him a quizzical look, "but I suspect your explanation wouldn't be at all helpful."

"Nonsense, nonsense. My explanations are always perfectly straightforward." The older Khadgar waved a hand airily. "And if anyone can understand them, you can."

"Go on, then,"

"Well, they are an exiled group of tall, blue interplanetary travellers fleeing their demonic brethren with the aid of giant geometric manifestations of pure goodness. Oh, and they don't like cheese."

"...Very straightforward."

"I told you so!" said the older Khadgar, beaming. "I should draw you a diagram though. Their biology is fascinating. I suspect they may be descended from goats, or possibly squid."

The younger Khadgar raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure his thirst for knowledge extended to squidgoats, or the men who claimed to know of them. Even if they were himself. He cleared his throat. "...So, how do I get you back to your own universe?"

"Well, I suppose we need to replicate my original experiment as closely as we can," said the older Khadgar, scratching his chin. "Fortunately I have some more daxite crystals in my pocket, so it should be possible for me to pass between worlds. But... hmm."

"But what?" asked Khadgar, worried he might be saddled with this stranger forever. "Are you missing something?"

"Alas, yes, though factoring in the result of the first experiment, I believe I can tweak it a little here and there. However, I will need to compensate by increasing the amount of magic used."

"Will the two of us be enough?"

The older Khadgar frowned. "No, I'm afraid even the immense power contained by us both, doubled though it is, won't quite do it."

"That might be a problem then," said the younger Khadgar, pulling a face. "I'm not on the best of terms with the Kirin Tor, so if we need another mage..."

"No, no, we don't need another mage. Just the right atmospheric concentration of arcane energies."

The younger Khadgar paused, and then said, "You mean Karazhan, don't you."

"Where else?" The older Khadgar's eyes lit up. "Is that lovely pool of magic still there in this universe?"

"Err... no." Khadgar coughed. "I might have exploded it."

"That's a shame. You don't seem to have suffered any ill effects for it though," the older Khadgar said, looking his other self up and down, "and as far as I'm concerned, that's the measure of a successful spell."

The younger Khadgar smiled a little at this. "Whenever I say that, people tell me I'm mad."

The older Khadgar tutted. "Some people have no imagination."

"Archmage Antonidas in particular."

"Aha, yes, old Antonidas," chuckled the other Khadgar. "Tell me, did you accidentally set his robes on fire when you were fourteen?"

"No," said the younger Khadgar. "I was thirteen, and it was his underwear."

"Well, well," said the older Khadgar, grinning. "No wonder the Kirin Tor doesn't like you."

"And I suppose they like you?"

The older Khadgar drew himself up proudly. "Of course they do. I'm the leader of the Council of Six."

Young Khadgar struggled to contain his awe. "I become their leader?"

"Well, maybe. You aren't quite me, so perhaps your future won't be the same," said the older Khadgar, then leaned in conspiratorially. "But honestly, if you're even half as good as I am, then they'd be mad not to have you."

The younger Khadgar's eyes widened in such an unguarded look of gratitude that it was almost painful.

"Now, now, don't get all sentimental on me," said his older self, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "We've got a job to do."

"Oh, yes... Karazhan, you said?" The younger Khadgar cleared his throat, then grabbed a piece of charcoal from his desk and began to draw thick lines upon the floor.

"What are you doing?" asked the older Khadgar, looking at him in confusion.

"Drawing the rune for teleportation."

"Oh, there's no need for that." The older Khadgar dug into his pocket and pulled out a small pink crystal. With that in one hand, he clenched his other fist - it glowed blue for a moment, then a vertical portal swirled into existence next to him. Karazhan was clearly visible through it.

The younger Khadgar stared at it in shock and fascination.

"Come along," said the older Khadgar, grabbing his other self by the arm and pulling him through the glowing circle.

In half a second, they were on the other side, and the portal closed behind them.

The younger Khadgar looked at where it had been. "Great idea, leaving that half-drawn rune on the floor."

"Oh, I'm sure nothing bad will happen."

The younger Khadgar raised his eyebrow.

"...Probably nothing bad will happen," amended the older Khadgar, and coughed. "Anyway, if I know anything about you - and I do, because you're me - there are far more dangerous things lurking in your room for anyone unwise enough to snoop. Half of them put there deliberately."

"Three quarters, but who's arguing?"

"We are, it seems," said the older Khadgar, and then paused. "Do you know, I suddenly understand why other people talk to me the way they do."

"They just don't have a proper appreciation for sarcasm," said the younger Khadgar.

"Or puns," said the older one, brightly.

The younger Khadgar gave him a look of disgust. "Puns? Really?"

"Of course! I'm particularly proud of my wordplay, and I'm permanently pleased to present a pun-laden performance to people."

"I'm glad you're not my future self," said Khadgar, glaring, "so I can murder you with impugnity."

The older mage burst out laughing. "There's no need for that!"

"Good," said the younger Khadgar, still glaring a little. "All the same, I think we should get you back to your universe."

"I agree," said the older Khadgar, eyes twinkling. "In fact it's intensely important that I immediately interact with it."

Khadgar groaned. "These aren't even puns. It's just alliteration."

"Spoilsport. And just when I thought I'd finally found someone who truly understood me."

The younger Khadgar took a breath and leaned in closer. "Maybe you mistook my magnificent mien for a mirror."

The older Khadgar chuckled and clapped him on the back. "Good lad. I knew you had it in you."

Young Khadgar grunted. "Let's set up your crystals quickly, before I catch too much insanity from you."

"Ah, you'll miss me when I'm gone," said the older Khadgar, but he began fishing the crystals out of various pockets.

"Don't worry," said the younger Khadgar. "I'll still have Lothar to annoy me."

The older Khadgar chuckled again. "Oh, he'll grow on you."

"Like a fungus," muttered young Khadgar.

"More like a beard," said older Khadgar, smiling.

The younger Khadgar scratched at his own facial hair. "What would you know about beards? You don't even have one."

"Ah, but I used to! Fabulous thing it was, almost three feet long. People even named a plant after it." Khadgar sighed happily.

The younger Khadgar rolled his eyes. "Well, now I know you're making this all up. I could never grow a beard that long."

"Just you wait, young man," said his older self, dropping the last of the crystals into position. "Just you wait."

Young Khadgar pushed up his sleeves, and readied himself for the spell. "I'm definitely interested in how things will work out for me."

The older Khadgar just smiled and winked.


End file.
